Which Lentils Are Best: Red or Yellow?

December 1, 2025 •

3 min read

In 2023, the global lentil production reached about 6.5 million metric tons. Understanding the characteristics of different lentil types, like red or yellow, is important for cooking. This knowledge helps to get the desired taste and texture in various meals.

Quick Summary

This article compares red and yellow lentils. The comparison covers flavor, cooking time, and nutrition. It will also explore the best ways to use each type in meals such as soups, curries, and dals.

Key Points

Cooking Time and Texture: Red and yellow lentils both cook quickly and become creamy and soft. This makes them ideal for soups and purees.
Flavor Profile: Red lentils have a slightly sweet and nutty flavor, while yellow lentils offer a milder, buttery, and more neutral taste.
Culinary Use: Both lentils break down easily, so they are perfect for thickening curries, stews, and dals. They are not suitable for dishes where they need to keep their shape, such as salads.
Nutritional Differences: Although both are nutritious, yellow lentils have more iron, while red lentils have more potassium.
Recipe Suitability: Use red lentils for richer, slightly sweeter flavors in creamy dishes. Use yellow lentils for milder flavors in traditional recipes like khichdi.
Cooking Process: Because they are hulled, neither type needs to be soaked and can be cooked quickly on the stove or in a pressure cooker.

Red Lentils vs. Yellow Lentils: A Detailed Comparison

Red and yellow lentils are popular and versatile legumes. They are often used in many recipes, but their different qualities make them better for specific dishes. While both are good sources of plant-based protein and fiber, their taste, texture, and how they cook are key to the perfect dish.

The Characteristics of Red Lentils

Red lentils, also called Masoor dal, have an orange-red color before they are cooked. They are sold without their skins, or hulled, and split. This affects how they cook and their final texture.

Key features:

Flavor: Mild and slightly sweet with a hint of nuttiness.
Cooking Time: They cook very fast, usually in 15 to 20 minutes.
Texture: They break down quickly and become very soft and creamy, which is perfect for thickening stews, curries, and soups. They do not hold their shape when cooked.
Best Uses: Great for making smooth, thick dals, soups like Red Lentil Soup, and creamy curries where you want the lentils to blend into the sauce.

The Characteristics of Yellow Lentils

Yellow lentils, or Moong dal, come from moong beans that have been skinned and split. They are often confused with yellow split peas, but they are flatter and disc-shaped.

Key features:

Flavor: Mild and buttery, with a neutral taste that easily absorbs the flavors of other ingredients.
Cooking Time: They take a little longer to cook than red lentils, usually about 15 to 20 minutes on the stove, but some recipes suggest up to 40 minutes. They also cook quickly in a pressure cooker.
Texture: Like red lentils, they become soft and creamy when cooked, making them good for similar uses. They create a velvety, smooth consistency.
Best Uses: Good for light, everyday dals, stews, and khichdi because their flavor is mild. Their ability to make a thick, smooth purée is highly valued.

Nutritional Differences

Both varieties offer many nutritional benefits, but there are some small differences.

Protein: Both are high in protein. One study shows yellow lentils (moong dal) may have slightly more protein per 100g when raw compared to red lentils (masoor dal), but both provide a lot of protein.
Micronutrients: Yellow lentils are particularly rich in iron, with almost double the amount per serving as red lentils. Red lentils, on the other hand, have more potassium and sodium. Both are good sources of folate and fiber.
Cooking Impact: How you cook them affects the final nutritional content. Soaking can increase digestibility and nutrient bioavailability.

Red vs. Yellow Lentils: A Comparison Table


Feature	Red Lentils (Masoor Dal)	Yellow Lentils (Moong Dal)
Appearance	Orange-red, split and hulled	Yellow, split and hulled
Flavor	Mild, slightly sweet, nutty	Mild, buttery, neutral
Cooking Time	Fast (15-20 minutes)	Fast (15-20 minutes)
Cooked Texture	Creamy, mushy; breaks down easily	Creamy, soft; produces a smooth purée
Best For	Thick soups, creamy curries, fast dals	Everyday dals, mild stews, khichdi
Holds Shape?	No	No
Rich in	Potassium, Sodium	Iron

Choosing Red or Yellow Lentils

The choice between red and yellow lentils depends on your recipe and the texture you want. For example, the Indian-spiced lentils with kale recipe, shown on the Food Network, might be best with red lentils if you want a very creamy, fast-cooking result.

Choose Red Lentils when:

You need a dish that cooks quickly, like a weekday dal or soup.
You want a thick, smooth texture where the lentils blend into the broth.
You are making creamy curries or purees.

Choose Yellow Lentils when:

You are making a dish that calls for moong dal, such as khichdi.
You prefer a milder flavor that does not overpower other ingredients.
You need a creamy consistency similar to red lentils, but with a different nutritional balance.

Final Verdict: Which Lentils Are Better?

Deciding which lentils are best, red or yellow, is not about one being superior. It is about which is best for a certain use. For a quick, creamy, and slightly sweet result, red lentils are the best. For a mild, buttery flavor and a similar creamy texture, yellow lentils are a great choice, especially for traditional Indian dishes. Both are very nutritious and can be used in many healthy meals. Your choice will depend on the flavor and texture you want for your recipe. Experiment with both to find your favorite!

Frequently Asked Questions

Yes, in most recipes you can use yellow lentils instead of red lentils, and the other way around. This is especially true in soups and curries where a creamy texture is desired, as they cook similarly.

Both red (masoor dal) and yellow (moong dal) lentils are excellent for making dal. The best choice depends on the specific dal recipe and your preference for a slightly sweet (red) or milder (yellow) flavor.

No, you do not need to soak red or yellow lentils before cooking because they are hulled and split. This allows them to cook quickly and soften easily without soaking.

Both red and yellow lentils are very nutritious. Yellow lentils have more iron, while red lentils have higher levels of potassium and sodium. The overall nutritional differences are small, so it's good to use different types of lentils.

Red and yellow lentils cook faster than other types because they have had their skins removed (they are hulled), and they are split in half. This reduces the cooking time.

Red lentils have a slightly sweeter and nuttier flavor. Yellow lentils have a milder, more buttery taste that can easily absorb other flavors.

No, red and yellow lentils are not the best for salads because they break down and become mushy when cooked. It is better to use varieties that hold their shape, like green or brown lentils, for salads.